Patent GB-1206025-A (GB)
Title: A device on an automatic firearm for the selective supply of ammunition from two separate belts
Inventor: BRIEGER HANS
IPC: F41A9/37
Filed: 1968-03-20
Abstract: 1,206,025. Cartridge feed mechanism. WERKZEUGMASCHINENFABRIK OERLIKON BUHRLE & CO. 20 March, 1968, No. 13603/68. Heading F3C. A device on an automatic firearm for the selective supply of ammunition from two separate belts comprises a transversely movable carrier 24 in which are mounted a pair of feed mechanisms, one mechanism for each belt, and a common drive mechanism, the drive mechanism co-operating with the feed mechanism which is in the operative position. The carrier 24 is provided at each end with a projection 30, 31 the projection 30 being slidable in a groove 69 of a wall 68 of a housing 60 and the projection 31 engaging a groove 121 in an intermediate cover 76 of the housing 60. A dog 36 of a cylinder 32 which is mounted slidably on a pair of tubes 100 is operatively connected to the projection 30 (Fig. 4, not shown) such that movement of the cylinder 32 either manually through a handle 39 or through fluid pressure causes transverse movement of the carrier 24. Each feed mechanism comprises a sprocket wheel 42, 420 mounted on a splined shaft (41), 410. The shaft (41), 410 also carries a bush 43, 430 which is in the one-way driven connection with a pinion 47, 470. The pinion 470 in the ammunition feeding position (Fig. 3) is actuated by a rack 160 of a spring loaded ram 12, the ram 12 being reciprocated by rollers 19 of the ram bearing against profiled ledges of a reciprocating breech block 4. The bushes 43, 430 are prevented from rotating against the direction feed by spring loaded levers 54, 540 respectively which are pivotally mounted on the carriage 24 and co-operate with teeth 44 on the bushes. When a feed mechanism is moved away from the ammunition feeding position the respective lever 54, 540 is carried away from engagement with a tooth 44 by a surface 88 of a lever 82, 820 and the pinion 47, 470 engages a rack 85 of the lever 82, 820 to rotate the feed mechanism against its feeding direction through frictional contact between the parts (430, 470, Fig. 2) of the oneway drive connection. This rotation moves a cartridge in the firing position to a waiting position. The lever 82, 820 is only held against the pinion 47, 470 when the breechblock is in the cocked position by a lever 94, 940 which is under the control of the ram 12. The feed mechanism being moved into the ammunition feeding position is rotated one step in the ammunition feed direction to bring a cartridge from a waiting position to the firing position if the breechblock 4 is cocked. If the breechblock is not cocked the levers 94, 940 allow the racks 85 to not positively engage the pinions 47, 470 and thus no driving of the feed mechanism takes place. The brakes 43, 430 are locked in the feed inoperative positions also by the levers 54, 540 which are again cammed away from the teeth 44 by a surface 120 of the lever 82 on movement towards the operative position. The ammunition belt is guided in guides 113 in the carriage 24 and the links thereof are conveyed through an opening in the cover 65 of the housing 60.